Monday, April 18, 2011

Going with the Flow

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's been quite a weekend. So much so, I'm really not over-enamoured with Monday. Bleugh.

It's funny, the weekend had some serious Flow about it. Friday, as I was walking up the road to the Supper Club, I bumped into the son of a friend of an acquaintence. He's a good looking lad in his mid-twenties, the sort that makes fathers of teenage daughters reach for their shotguns. He was going in the opposite direction to the pub. We stopped and exchanged small talk and then he complimented me on my appearance and offered to buy me a pint should I end up in the pub. Talk about being good for my ego.

I called into the Tesco's Express for a bottle of red wine, and as I was queuing (and shamelessly ear-wigging the mobile phone conversation of the guy behind me) a guy paid for his bag of shopping and walked out. The shop assistant called after him. He'd forgotten to take his credit card out of the machine-dohickie, but he was focussed and out the door without hearing her. The duude (surfer shorts, flip-flops and long, stringy pony tail) in the queue in front of me said 'shall I give him his card?', he took the card from the assistant and legged it out the door. By this time, we in the queue are craning our necks looking to see a) if the duude would catch the guy or b) if he'd leg it. The guy behind me ended he call and we watched the duude sprint after the guy. He tapped him on his shoulder, handed him the card. There was much grateful gesticulation on his part. The duude came back, took his place in the queue like nothing happened.

Norwich, the finest city in the world, where a stranger would return a piece of plastic to it's rightful owner.

The Unthank Supper Club was great. It's such a great mix of people. You're never sure who will turn up for the feast. This month there was a fantastic mix of ages. I sat opposite a yoga teacher, her teenage daughter next to her, with her father in his mid-sixties on my left. They were a complete scream. We just never stopped talking. The food....Let me tell you about the food. Let me make you salivate.

To start with: aubergine kookoo. A tartin made from aubergine (duh) and egg. It was topped with wild garlic yogurt and salsa verde. The garlic would ensure no self-respecting vampire would approach me for a week. It was so, sooo yummy.

For the main there were two English, spring lamb chops coated with paprika and cumin salt served with shredded beetroot and yogurt dressing, chick pea puree and mustard leeks. You remember me telling you I was going to have my braces adjusted earlier on Friday morning. It wasn't particularly painful this time round and I had no trouble with the lamb. It just fell off the bone. I savoured every mouthful. So, sooo yummy.

To finish there were Rhubarb petit mon blancs with raspberry marshmallow and whipped cream. Now people who know me, are well aware that there are two foods I don't willingly eat: fennell and rhubarb. When I started going to the Unthank Supper Club, I put my likes and dislikes to one side. The idea was for me to have different culinary experiences. I was going to try everything. And I'm so glad I did. Think filled merengues that dissolve on the tongue. The rhubarb was really tasty and didn't require me shaving my teeth after. My mother would have been very proud of me. I resisted the urge to lick my plate. Oh it was good. Note to self: next time, wear elasticated trousers.

Saturday afternoon, Gee's family and I invaded her bruv's. We had tea, home made cake and a whole lot of fun. There was much laughter and many hugs. I am so blessed to be surrounded by so much love and laughter.

As for Saturday evening, what can I say? The movie was an interesting choice, I wouldn't have gone to see it otherwise and it was quite good. There is much to recommend about it. I enjoyed The Man's company greatly. He's a blast from my past (the best-friend of an ex. Welcome to Norwich where every one has probably rented out the same house at some point and people are two degrees of separation), so we had much to catch up on. He said he'd call during the week (oh yeah) and he texted me Sunday afternoon. So...as the prophet says - we'll see.

18 comments:

  1. Excepting the eggplant, what a wonderful serving of weekend treats!

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  2. xl ~ not an eggplant fan? Duuude...you'd have missed out. It was awesome!

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  3. Odd. I did that dashing after the previous customer to return her card thing last week at the Co-op here.

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  4. I would have tried it all, but like XL I too am not a fan of eggplant.

    So, what did you and Manbabe watch? or did I miss that.. I am glad you had a lovely time.

    WV: flita - is that like flirta?

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  5. dave ~ but without the pony tail and flip flops, one assumes?

    cyberpete ~ you'd have missed out. It was yummy.

    Manbabe. I love it. Manbabe he is.

    Apologies, I deleted the e-mail xl sent me with the directions on how to link (for I got a little too enthusiastic with the delete button.

    We went to see Submarine.

    http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Cinema_City/film/Submarine/

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  6. Anonymous8:54 pm

    You did Not accidentially come by the pub, just to have a look whether the friendly young man was still around?
    Strange.

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  7. mago ~ nope. I didn't. I like my men vintage and with more physical presence than the lad had.

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  8. "15-year-old Oliver Tate has two objectives: To lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life."

    ??

    I usually go to Eros when I need to do a linky because he has the guide on his blog.

    Was the movie make out material?

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  9. By the way, I would have totally tasted the eggplant because I am raised in a house where you try what is being served. Anything else is rude. Unless you are allergic.

    This is how I suddenly became allergic to sprouts, walnuts, apricots, broccoli and all types of celery.

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  10. Anonymous12:01 am

    All good vitamin c carriers, Pete, you'll develop Skorbut.

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  11. cyberpete x 2~ not really make out material. Besides of which the only two seats available were on in front of the other. Good idea about visiting Eros. I'll remember that in future.

    You mean there are *more* types of celery? Bleugh.

    mago ~ I'll nag him to take his vitamins.

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  12. I agree, you sometimes have to put prejudice about a food (or an experience) behind you. Pretty well anything can be dismal if badly cooked.

    A few years ago I was on the Tube in London when someone left their umbrella as he left. We called, but he didn't hear. So a man took the brolly, jumped out and ran after him to return it. As he started back, the doors began to close. We in the carriage were all asking "did he catch the train?" until someone said 'it's all right, he got on the next carriage. It was very cheering.

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  13. Yes, Eros has excellent blogging "how-tos" available.

    Links are very easy:

    [a href="url"]words[/a]

    Note: substitute < and > for [ and ] in the example.

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  14. z ~ that is certainly true what you say about food. Dismal preparation can kill anything.

    I loved your story about the Tube. There are good people in the world.

    xl ~ yes, I know it's easy. You make it seem so. I just keep forgetting. It won't stay in my brain, it just keeps sliding out.

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  15. I find it helpful to scribble things I am trying to learn on those wonderful little yellow sticky notes!

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  16. Note to Self:

    Get yellow post-it notes to stick around laptop.

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  17. Anonymous12:14 am

    These damn sticky notes fall off after a week, better get some tape too.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Note to Self:

    Get some tape too.

    ReplyDelete

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